Coming from a Tesla Model 3…should I get a lightly used i8 as a daily driver? I’ve always been a BMW guy, this will be my 5th if I pull the trigger. I drive A LOT, and put 40k miles on the Tesla in a year and a half, just getting bored of it. Would going to an i8 be worth it? Just want to hear some opinions and feedback
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No youll get gapped by a corolla
What corolla does a 3.8?
You absolutely should not, but you should do it anyway
WHAT THE FUCK HAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAA
My 2c I daily drive a 2016 i8 that I bought CPO in 2019. 4 years later the only cost besides routine maintenance I’ve had are:
- $2700 - wiring loom replacement + labor. Damn rodents. The symptoms of this were the AC not working correctly
- $1000 - 12v battery - replaced at 6 years of age.
I did spend about $5000 for 3 extra years of warranty that recently expired but I never had to use. Very reliable and I drive about 10k-15k miles a year. I don’t have to commute as much but use it for road trips. One thing I worry about is BMW not having techs familiar with the car. One time during maintenance they put in the wrong spark plugs and I was misfiring at higher rpms
Be sure to watch this instructional video before you purchase. Thank you.
40k miles in 18 months is not a lot. Just saying
But also yes. Absolutely get an i8
The i8 is sexy, the Tesla is ugly. Go with ///Magestic option my friend
I’ve driven and owned many BMWs and the i8 is by far my favourite driving and looking BMW ever. It’s also the perfect daily if you can get used to the doors and don’t need to carry much luggage around. It looks like a super car, drives and handles like a very quick hot hatch, has nearly the instant torque factor of electric, and if you charge regularly, it gives you really good fuel economy. I’ve put 25k+ miles on mine in just over 2 years of ownership.
I really wonder why bmw discontinued them. They look great even by today’s standards
Low sales figures, mainly because most people shopping for a car that looks like that, want it to be as fast as it looks. I’ve heard a lot of “if only it wasn’t a hybrid”
It’s beyond gorgeous bruh, it’s a piece of art
If you can afford maintenance, why not lmao
Have you sat in one? I found a visibility limited (A-pillar blocks a lot of view for me) and it’s hard to get in and out, so it will bother me a lot in a daily.
Otherwise - why not?
I daily drive one, and once you set the mirrors up correctly, you have really good visibility. It doesn’t take a quick moment to get used to the dimensions and general awareness around the car
BMW tech here - see if the a/c compressor has been replaced with the updated one. I thinkkkk the designed changed in 5/2017. The compressor internally degrades and ends up, sending shrapnel through the entire freon system, which also cools the hybrid batteries. The compressor is always on so it’s a common failure item. When it does go to shit, out of pocket service invoices are $12-$16k. Otherwise, they are super solid cars.
To replace the compressor preventatively, it’s around $4000
Isn’t there an extended warranty for these in California?
Not sure how the warranty admins do it on the back end tbh, but CARB warranty is only 7yr/70k miles.
Ah because my i3 REX is 15yr/150k miles for pretty much everything
Is there a similar issue with the i3s? Or anything else along those lines to look out for with those?
Why the fuck isn’t this a recall lmaoo
no like actually fr this should be a recall not a 4k charge 😂
Is that $4k with labor from bmw? Because honestly, that’s not bad. When considering failure points on other cars some PM easily exceeds $4k in parts.
I’m ballparking, but yes, with labor. It’s only like 2.5hrs + A/C charge. I think the compressor is around $1000ish without the core. You’re “supposed” to also swap out the drier, and perform the retrofit coding, however I never did either of those to my own car and it worked fine for years. I’d probably factor in another $2k (parts/labor) if you do it the “right” way.
Is there a way to know if there’s shrapnel in the system prior to buying the car?
No, it’s not bad. It’s awful. Given that it’s a known failure on a part that is necessary for the vehicle to function, it should be a recall.
One could only dream that companies would take responsibility and fix every problem with our cars.
You’re not wrong. But this sort of thing seems like a textbook example of a recall.
This is super good to know. Thank you for posting!
I used to “hate” on the I8.
Meaning I didn’t talk shit about it, but I just thought it was kind of a poor attempt at a flex. Then they started showing up to the exotic rallies and I was having some good fun with others who owned one while we were cruising on the highway.
I would say this is a good move, definitely way better than a Tesla too lol.
Buy used and drive for bit. If you like it, keep it, if not, sell it.
Gonna use it in cold winter? Probably dont buy then: front windshield cracks from cold/heat. And check front suspension, it is pain in the ass
Yes!
Only if you are shorter than 180 cm and small framed 😄 getting in and especially out of that car daily is not for everyone 😄😄